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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

In my first professional job, a mentor told me networking was de rigueur. Get out of your office, he said. Meet people. Trade
business cards. Swap information. Do this with the hope that meeting this person will lead to that person and eventually get you
wherever it is you want to go.

Nothing
wrong with that.

Except,
I was terrible at it. Case in point—I would go out of my way to avoid my boss's
boss. (Did I say avoid? We're talking treat the guy like he had the plague.) Just
so he'd know I wasn't trying to brownnose. For the same reason, I avoided
anyone else who might help advance my career.

No
brownnosing for me. Nuh uh. No way.

So
although I worked hard and helped people out on their own networking journey, I
did almost no networking of my own. I connected
with people. That was fun. But I found actual
networking—connecting with a self-advancing goal in mind—stressful. It made me feel as if I had to size up
everyone I met at work events or writers conferences with a What's in it for me? attitude.

Networking
did not make me happy. And I like to be happy.

According
to the latest research, we are happiest when we give. Volunteering, helping
friends and family, and donating to charities provides a sense of belonging,
that connection we crave. Turns out
that selflessly helping others improves our own prosperity. How? By raising our
self-esteem and happiness. Our altruistic joie
de vivre then draws others to us.

After
my house burned down in a wildfire, Mystery Writers of America offered to send me
to one of their day-long MWA Universities. I gratefully accepted their
generosity, thrilled to be with fellow writers and away from the rented
furniture in my rented home.

One
of the speakers that day was Hank Phillippi Ryan. Hank is the epitome of
gracious connecting. She is warm, caring, curious, empathic. She exemplifies
the whole mental flip from networking to connecting that I'm trying to push
here. At the MWA University I got the opportunity to meet her. But I didn't get
the chance to tell her how much the day meant to me, or how her workshop
inspired me to sit down and write a novel.

Writing
a novel, as most of you know, is hard. As in, really, really hard. Getting to THE
END is the emotional equivalent of summiting Annapurna, a mountain in Nepal
with the highest fatality-to-summit ratio in its class. In just one month in 2014, at least 39 people perished
on the mountain.

Writing
or mountaineering—a lot of people die on the way.

bing.com/images

But
the writing wasn't nearly as intimidating as the next step. Yes.That step. The one that turns you from
victorious mountain climber to exhausted wreck, wondering if you've got the
strength to take even one more step.

I'm
talking about the Great Agent Hunt. The quest that makes you realize that
although you summited Annapurna, you still haven't reached the top of the world.
Worse for me, finding an agent would no doubt involve—shield your eyes—networking.

Climbing
the real Annapurna suddenly seemed a viable alternative.

But
novelists are tough. We do what we have to do. Since I'd written a mystery and
planned to write a thriller after that, I accepted a friend's offer to let me
bunk with her at Thrillerfest. I packed my bags and flew to New York City and—figuring
no networking would be required—attended the terrifying, exhilarating,
rewarding and exhausting ordeal known as Pitchfest.

Three-and-a-half hours. More than fifty agents and editors. By the end of it, I was
ready to throw myself in front of an agent, stare into her eyes and skip all
formalities such as introductions and an actual pitch. My much-practiced proposal
went from "Hi, so happy to meet you, I've written a novel … " to,
"Yo. You want it or not?"

I
staggered out, reeling like a prize fighter who's taken one too many blows. Although
my pitches had been successful, I still had a long slog in front of me. You
know the drill. Send out the manuscript and wait for maybe yes, maybe nothing,
maybe no. No as in never, don't contact me again, stay away from my office, my
home, my children, my alma mater, get a job digging ditches.

I
headed toward the bank of elevators with no further plan than to go up to my
room, throw myself on the bed and sleep. Cocktails to follow.

Then
my gaze settled on Hank, also waiting for an elevator. I knew talking to her
would be safe. No stress. Nothing intimidating. And I'd been wanting to thank
her for her kindness at MWA University, and for her wonderful class. As we chatted,
a man came over to say hello to Hank, who brightened and gestured us toward
each other. "Author, agent. Agent, author."

The
gentleman turned to me with a kind and cheerful smile.

He wasn't one of the agents who'd been
in Pitchfest.

Fresh
meat.

"Bob
Diforio," he said as we shook hands. "Tell me about your book."

I
mustered a smile. But—seriously—I was at that "do you want it or not"
stage.

"I'm
not sure I can," I said. Honest, but unhelpful.

"Ah,
come one," he said. "I'd love to hear about it."

We
bid farewell to Hank and walked a few paces away.

Pulling
on depths I didn't know I had, I pitched for the tenth time. He asked for the
manuscript. And then, bless his heart, sat in the hotel lobby and read the
first few chapters. Before the cocktail party that evening, he offered me
representation. He spent the evening chatting up my book to editors and
introducing me to his other clients. I spent the evening in a happy daze.

All
because MWA had reached out to me after the wildfire, then Hank had been friendly
and inspiring at the MWA University, and finally I'd found a chance to connect
with her and thank her for helping me. Hopefully Hank got a small glow from our
reconnection. I know I did. Small as in megawatt laser.

As
for the friend who offered to share her room at Thrillerfest? We now also share
an agent. I introduced them over cocktails. A perfect ending to a wonderful
weekend.

Looking
for success and longing for happiness?

Ask
not what your fellow writers can do for you. Ask, instead, what you can do for them.

About the Author: Barbara Nickless is an award-winning author whose short stories and essays have appeared in anthologies in the U.S. and U.K. She is represented by Bob Diforio of the D4EO Literary Agency.

Monday, September 28, 2015

What do you have in your writing toolbox? Pikes Peak Writers is an obvious choice, but there are some non-writing organizations that can help you meet your writing goals.

Most of my writer friends are comfortable saying: I am a writer.

Most are a little fidgety when it comes to saying: I am a small business owner. We are writers and artists ... who let's face it need money to buy chocolate (and other things).

This spring, I stumbled upon a great resource the Colorado Springs Small Business Development Center. I signed up for their newsletter months before, but it wasn't until The Digital Marketing Series: Driving leads for Business workshop appeared in my inbox that I had a light bulb moment.
I was staring at a list of skills I wanted to know more about to help in my writing career.

Cory Ostos Arcarese, of CArc Media, taught the workshops at a local Ent Federal Credit Union. The series was sponsored by Colorado SBDC and Ent. Each session cost $10 to reserve a spot. The fee was refunded after you attended the workshop.

I personally attended websites and blogging; Facebook; and LinkedIn sessions. Additional workshops were held on Twitter, Instagram and other platforms and Google+.

The series offered plenty of pertinent tips I can tailor to my needs as a not-yet-published writer and carry through when I cross the published threshold. Cory made a reference to the book Youtility by Jay Baer. This alone offered dozens of ideas for my blog.

I really like being a Facebook user, but didn't pick up on how my user decisions help advertisers reach me until this class. As an author, who wants to spend a small amount on Facebook, the network really allows you to drill down to a specific person — your reader — and to a very specific budget for your advertising campaign. Cory also shared you can schedule posts directly on your Facebook page. Since Facebook likes that better than third party apps, that was a very useful tip.

While I don't have a book to connect with readers, yet, I have already used several items from the sessions to share with friends, writers, and even my church's efforts to better utilize Facebook to promote its upcoming 60th Anniversary.

I also discovered the SBDC offers workshops online. You can watch webinars packed with information on your lunch break or in your pajamas. The website also has a Courses for Creatives page.

In addition to the information presented, the SBDC series gave me an opportunity to meet people outside of my writer tribe. It's fun and scary at the same time to hear people talk about bootstrapping her business. Wait. It's very similar to hearing a fellow writer talk about her latest book.

Sure there may be services you don't care about like writing a business plan, but if you decide you want one the SBDC has the resources to help you.

About the Author: Stacy S. Jensen worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for two decades. Today, she writes picture books and revises a memoir manuscript. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and son.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

“I'm sorry, but I do hate this differentiation between the sexes. 'The modern girl has a thoroughly businesslike attitude to life' That sort of thing. It's not a bit true! Some girls are businesslike and some aren't. Some men are sentimental and muddle-headed, others are clear-headed and logical. There are just different types of brains.” ~ Agatha Christie, Appointment with Death

Source: Bing, Pulp & Goodreads

Agatha Christie (September 15, 1890- January 12, 1976)Not only was she appointed the title of “Dame” by the Queen of England, but according to the Guiness Book of World Records, she is the best-selling author of all time.

This week on Writing from the Peak Sept. 28: Writer Resources, The SBDC: Think about it by Stacy S. Jensen Sept. 30: The Real Secret to Networking: Change your approach by Barbara Nickless

Friday, September 25, 2015

Jane Bigelow's short story "The Golden
Ruse" was published in Luxor: Gods, Grit and Glory (ISBN 13:
978-1514779378, ISBN 10: 1514779374), on August 15, 2015
by Museum Tours, and edited by Bill Petty. All the stories involve the
city of Luxor, aka Thebes, aka Waset, and always a center of events in Egyptian
history.

It has been a
successful trading voyage for the Middle Kingdom trader Nebnefer. He's about to
go home with a shipload of ebony and ivory, and a few twists of gold wire. Why
does he feel so uneasy in the great trade city of Abu, then, and why is his old
trading contact suddenly so distant? On his way home, he decides to stop for
the night in Perhathor instead of pushing for Waset. It was the wrong choice.

Jane M. H. Bigelow writes fantasy, historical
fiction, and short nonfiction. She has one novel and several short stories
published, including "Healing Pain" in the recently released Gifts
of Darkover anthology. She is currently working on too many projects
at once. Jane lives in Denver with her husband and fellow archaeology nut
Robert, and two cats.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Editor's Note: Pikes Peak Writers has members in every jurisdiction. But after reading Mike's post about his move, you might consider staying put. Enjoy!

By: Mike BefelerSpoiler alert.I no longer live in Colorado. The short version—my wife and I have moved
to Lakewood, California. The Longer version—read on.

Moving is something I’m not very good at. The reason:
I don’t do it very often. In fact we lived in the same house for thirty-eight
years before my wife and I made the decision to move from Boulder to California.
Many friends asked, “Why would you give up the beautiful mountains to go where
there’s a drought?” The simple answer: our daughter was having a baby and we
wanted to be there to help with childcare.

We spent several months sorting; donating furniture,
clothes and stuff to the Salvation Army; and then checking off the to-do-list
of all the things necessary to sell the house, buy a new one and get everything
moved. Needless to say, I put writing on hiatus with my new more-than-full-time
job.

Given the housing market, before we even put it on the
market, we had a buyer who offered a good price, gave us a month leeway after
the house was sold to stay in the house to help with the timing of our move to
California, and didn’t insist on any items being fixed from the inspection
report. In the meantime, we made a whirlwind trip to visit our daughter and bought
a house near her. The day we arrived the realtor took us to see houses. Out of
all we saw, we liked one. Still, we could only see it from the outside as it
had gone on the market that day. The next day we went inside, knew it was our
new home and made an offer. The following day there was a higher offer, so we
sucked it up, met that, and the house was ours.

Then began the craziness of lining up the movers and coordinating
the timing between the sale of the Boulder house and the closing of the
California house. After one glitch with the movers, we got everything
scheduled. We took off for a two-day drive to California with our cat. The
problem—the first night when we stopped in Cedar City, Utah, my hand had
swollen and was painful from a puncture wound the result of packing. I ended up
in an emergency room diagnosed with a strep infection (cellulitis) and received
two doses of intravenous antibiotic that night and one more the next morning
before completing the drive. We set up our inflatable bed in our new house as
it would be several days before the moving van arrived. Then in the wee hours
of the next morning, I awoke with a fever, and my wife drove me to the closest
ER. I ended up spending over three days in the hospital being pumped full of
antibiotics, not the way I anticipated arriving in California.

The previous owners had not completed fixes to a
shower, so while I was in the hospital workers arrived to continue the repair.
Our cat got into the hole in the shower and disappeared into the crawl space
under the house. My wife had to deal with my hospitalization and the cat’s
disappearance, so it wasn’t a very good day for her. Finally, the cat came out
after dark, so at least one of us had returned.

After being released from the hospital, I had to carry
an IV pump with antibiotic for two weeks, then was weaned to oral antibiotics.

The good news—I made a complete recovery. The bad
news—writing stayed on hiatus. I kept my sanity by taking walks, and discovered
that although I no longer had the mountain vistas, there were beautiful parks,
bike paths and the nearby beaches.

Once my hand was functioning again, we began the
paperwork of drivers licenses, car registration and address changes. Then out of
the blue one of our insurance companies informed us that they were terminating
our prescription drug coverage in three days. After several frantic calls, I
found that we needed to convert to a Southern California plan from the Colorado
plan. The cost was all of ten cents a month more, but the insurance company, in
all its wisdom, chose to send us the incendiary letter rather than merely
contacting us to make a change.

In California, the Department of Motor Vehicles wants
people to get a new driver’s license within ten days of changing residence. But
guess what? When I called the DMV to make an appointment, the first slot was
six weeks later. Go figure.

Once I had my California driver’s license, I got my
California sales tax license and then applied for a business license in
Lakewood so I could sell my books at local events. An example of my stressed
out brain at this point, I spent an hour applying for the Lakewood business
license before noticing that I was on the Lakewood, CO web site not the Lakewood,
CA web site.

We now have that all taken care of. And what is
happening in my writing world? I’ve been networking and connecting. I started
playing pickleball once my hand healed and met people who directed me to a
writers group and a library where I’ll be participating in a mystery panel
early next year. I’ve joined the Los Angeles chapter of Sister in Crime, the
Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, attended a meeting
of the Orange County Chapter of Sisters in Crime and a writers group, participated
in two book clubs, given a talk to a book club, held a signing at a local
independent bookstore, contacted three other book stores and a library for
future signings, and scheduled a talk at a Rotary Club.

But the really important part of our move—our healthy,
handsome and happy grandson was born in July. We live two miles from our
daughter and her family and are seeing the little one on almost a daily basis.
This makes all the hassle and problems worth it.

Thus begins a new chapter of a writer in transition.

Mike
Befeler turned his attention to writing after a 39-year career in the computer
industry. He now resides in Lakewood, CA, with his wife Wendy. His
published novels in the Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series include:
RETIREMENT HOMES ARE MURDER (2007); LIVING WITH YOUR KIDS IS MURDER (2009), a
finalist for The Lefty Award for best humorous mystery of 2009; SENIOR MOMENTS
ARE MURDER (2011); CRUISING IN YOUR EIGHTIES IS MURDER (2012), a finalist for
The Lefty Award for best humorous mystery of 2012; CARE HOMES ARE MURDER
(2013); and NURSING HOMES ARE MURDER (2014). In April, 2013, Mike’s first
paranormal mystery, THE V V AGENCY, was published, followed by THE BACK WING, a
paranormal geezer-lit mystery. His most recent novel is MYSTERY OF THE DINNER
PLAYHOUSE. Mike is past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery
Writers of America. He also is the author of a biography, FOR LIBERTY: A WORLD WAR
II SOLDIER’S INSPIRING LIFE STORY OF COURAGE, SACRIFICE, SURVIVAL AND
RESILIENCE. Due out in October is Mike’s first historical mystery, MURDER ON
THE SWITZERLAND TRAIL.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Which book was
it? The book that first captured you with its world building? The book that
made you look up and look around. Hoping for a glimpse of the Misty Mountains
or the walls of Hogwarts. Listening for the crack of dragon wings, or the ring
of a sword being drawn.

For me, it was
J.R.R. Tolkien and his creation of Middle-earth. Certainly, other authors helped
forge who I am, both as writer and reader: Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain
Chronicles, C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books, and later, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter
novels and John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series. Most recently, I’ve
added Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles and Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series
to my list. Fine company, to be sure, and I learn something new every time I
read these books.

How can I hope
to match these authors and their skill in crafting such universes? One of the
best ways I’ve found to approach world building in my books is to think like a
cultural anthropologist.

So, here is an
Anthropology 101, Introduction to Culture mini-lesson:

*Ahem. Clicks
on powerpoint*

Every culture has
eight essential components or elements. No exceptions. If a group does not have
all eight elements, then it is probably a social group, not a culture (as an
anthropologist would define it.)

The Eight
Elements of Culture
(in no particular order)

•Language

•Religion

•History

•Daily Life (Food, Clothing, Shelter,
Technology)

•Social Groups

•Arts & Crafts

•Government

•Economy

Depending on
what the story needs, authors may focus on some elements more than others.
That’s fine, as long as you give a nod to all of them.

RELIGION

•Answers the basic meaning about life

•Can be formal and elaborate, or informal
and peripheral to your culture

•Can include science

LANGUAGE

•One of the strongest unifying forces of
a culture

•Variation of a language is called a
dialect (local form of a language that may have a distinct vocabulary and
pronunciation)

•Idioms, sayings, and cuss words are a
great way to enrich your world

HISTORY

•Actual as well as myths

•Shapes how a culture views itself and
the world, especially stories about a people’s challenges and successes. Helps people
develop cultural pride and unity

•Cultural holidays mark important events
and enable people to celebrate their heritage

DAILY LIFE

•Food, clothing, shelter

•Think about special foods or drinks your
characters enjoy or ones they avoid

•Clothes and weapons or tools can really
“mark” a culture

•Housing, including the building,
furniture, gardens, technology

SOCIAL GROUPS

•People can belong to more than one
social group based on age, gender, interests, and more

•The family is the most important social
group

•Your characters should act differently
in different social groups

•Ethnic group: a group that shares a
language, history, or religion, and sometimes, physical traits

ARTS

•Expresses what your characters think is
beautiful and meaningful

•Can also tells stories about important
figures and events in the culture

•music

•visual arts (both two dimensional and
three dimensional)

•dance

•performing arts

•literature

GOVERNMENT

•Your characters need rules in order to
live together without conflict

•A system that determines what goods and
services are produced, how to produce them, and who will receive them

•Four main types of economic systems:

–Traditional: barter and trade

–Market: capitalism

–Command: communism (written with a small
c means an economic system; written with a capital C means a form of
government)

–Mix: a blend of several. Many developed
countries have this. For example, China has a command economy, but allows some
features of a market economy

By embedding
these eight elements of culture in your world building (even if your characters
are non-human), you create a depth that the reader will consciously or
subconsciously pick up on. And, by making each element logical to your creation,
it makes your world more “real”.

Thus endeth the
lesson.

About the
Author: Darby Karchut is a
best-selling author, dreamer, and compulsive dawn greeter. She's been known to
run in blizzards and bike in lightning storms. When not dodging death by
Colorado, Darby is busy writing urban fantasy for tweens, teens, and adults,
and she is now dipping the toe of her running shoe into contemporary fiction.
Her debut YA novel, GRIFFIN RISING, was recently optioned for film. Darby’s
other books include THE HOUND AT THE GATE, THE STAG LORD, and coming in
December, UNHOLY BLUE. Visit her at www.darbykarchut.com

Friday, September 18, 2015

D.B
Humel’s cozy mystery, Meg and the
Mysterious Voices (ISBN: 978-0-042011-00-7, e-book, 162 pages) was released
on July 19, 2015 by Viva Publishers. The novel is available on Amazon or email
the author at db@dbhumel.com.

Meg Jamison,
a widow in her mid-fifties, a bit overweight and trying to paint colorful
images for an upcoming art show, is frustrated with her new hearing aid
earrings. They just won’t work right. But when her youngest motorcycling son
gets pulled into running drugs the hearing aid earrings turn out to be
invaluable.

Tracking
down a killer, while fending off pesky calls from an overbearing sister-in-law
and learning how to deal with a younger would-be lover, Meg manages to balance
all the bouncing balls and help everyone, including herself, in this
lighthearted cozy mystery.

Sue Viders(aka:D.B. Humel)is theauthor
of more than 25 books, articles and columns on marketing for artists and how-to
books for writers. Her best known book for writers is Heroes and Heroines,
Sixteen Master Archetypes and it’s spin-off card game Deal a Story.

Her
latest educational projects for writers are the Whole Writer’s Series, a
set of guides and workbooks for both the nonfiction and fiction writer and Let’s
Write a Story a set of Sue’s lectures, taken from her numerous online
writing classes and seminars.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

It is fun to undertake most endeavors with lofty intentions and enthusiastic dreams. But when it comes to writing, it’s wise to temper the fantasy with a dose of reality. Impractical expectations, misguided objectives, and false hopes can prevent you from getting off to a good start in one hell of a tough industry. Over many years of writing, publishing, and helping my editing clients do the same, I’ve seen writers with assumptions and motivations that hinder rather than help. I’ve been guilty of a few of these myself. Worst reasons to write:

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(c) bluebay14/dreamstimes.com

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿

1)Stephen King became a famous millionaire, I can too.

Go for it. It’s fun to have a dream, admirable to bite off a challenge aiming for the gold. Nobody earns an Olympic medal of any color without trying. But a statistical reality check suggests that you may awaken from that dream someday, use it as grist for the mill, and still not become a household name or rich off your words.

2)There are so many bad books out there and I could do better.

Certainly possible. But writing shouldn’t be like a bad excuse, “everybody else is doing it.” Writing isn’t following the lemmings over a cliff; writing is finding a better route and sharing it with others willing to take that adventure with you.

3)I’m an introvert and suited to the writing life.

Marketing is largely in the authors’ hands now. If we can’t reach out, network, and be our own loud advocates, we may be doomed to fail even if we have a remarkable product. If you are a screenwriter, are you willing to have a presence in L.A.? If you write nonfiction, are you willing to be part of the social networking community? Blog on your topic? We are salesmen as well as writers. I wonder whether J.D. Salinger could have been a media-averse recluse in today’s world and still have had his book become listed in class curriculums.

4)My mother and aunt loved my fourth-grade poetry.

That’s nice. But are they typical readers? Industry experts? Objective?

5)I have a great idea.

Ideas are everywhere, most of them reruns. Success is in the execution. Underworld and Westside Story are Romeo and Juliet. The great ideas are recycled, but it is how they are reconstituted that makes them successful. Uniqueness can be overrated. But there’s no harm in trying. Titanic II? May sound ridiculous, but someone out there could pull it off. It may be you. It’s all in how you approach it. But having the brilliant idea isn’t enough.

6)If my neighbor can do it, anyone can.

Really? You so sure about that? How many people start a book and never finish? How many have an idea and never type one word of it? If your neighbor has a finished product (good or bad) she at least has a shot at success. You can too, but only if you stop comparing yourself to others and plaster your butt to that chair.

7)I’ll feel better about myself if I become a famous writer.

Hmmm. I suppose it could be true. But success can also lead to confirmed fears about our weaknesses when the public wants more and we get creative constipation, or worse, insecurities about whether our breakout novel was a fluke. We don’t suddenly become healthier, happier people when our books sell in the thousands. There is likely no author gene that we can suddenly prove we had all along. If anything, an emotional basket-case gene is twisted up next to the creativity gene.

8)I have the software, I can be a writer.

It is useful to own software like Final Draft, Scrivener, or voice recognition software, but no program, no laptop, no note cards, paper or pen can make you into a writer. Those are only tools of the trade. Owning an anvil and fire pit don’t make you a blacksmith. Years of apprenticeship are required. The tools of the trade are only a miniscule part of success.

9)I read voraciously, I should be able to write.

Not necessarily. It is the easy reads that are the hardest to pull off. Like a back flip on the balance beam, we usually notice its difficulty when something goes wrong. Well-executed, it looks easy. Writing a great piece--whether it be an article or picture book or novel--is much more challenging than it looks to most readers. But please don’t confuse this with the notion that a writer is not a reader. Just the opposite. Great writers are insatiable readers. There is something to be said for osmosis, if one has the training to recognize brilliance.

10)I’m deep and complicated. I should share the stuff in my head.

Maybe readers could benefit from your insight. Maybe your revelations could change the world. But genius often doesn’t understand its audience. Cleverness can come off as grandiosity. You may have super-complex gears turning in that brain of yours, but the best writing complicates the struggles of your characters but simplifies an idea.

Taking those first few baby steps will be far easier
if we are realistic about why we write.

About the Writer:Karen is an editor, ghostwriter, pitch coach, speaker and award-winning author of novels, cookbooks, and screenplays. She’s written over a dozen solo and collaborative scripts (with Janet Fogg, Christian Lyons and director Erich Toll); each has garnered international, national and regional recognition: Moondance Film Festival, BlueCat, All She Wrote, Lighthouse Writers, Boulder Asian Film Festival, SouthWest Writers Contest, and PPW Contest. Find out more at www.karenalbrightlin.com

Monday, September 14, 2015

By: Dawn SmitThe Zebulon Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Contest, sponsored by the Pikes Peak Writers, is open for submissions.
Writers have from now until Sunday, November 1, to submit a query letter, a
500-word synopsis and the first 2,500 words of the manuscript along with their
entry fee. But why enter our contest when there are so many to choose from?
Here are five good reasons:

The Zebulon is
open to all writers.

Are you
published? Unpublished? Welcome, and welcome. Submit the latest fiction piece
you’re sending out to agents, or your current work in process, or even the
first part of that manuscript you need a bit of motivation to finish. Or all of
the above. As long as the manuscript (or any series the manuscript is part of)
is unpublished and hasn’t placed first in our contest before, we’d love to see
it.

Nervous about
marketing? The Zebulon helps you dip a toe in the water.

Whether you
have your heart set on being traditionally published or you’re indie all the
way (or you’re somewhere in between), you will need to learn the basics of
marketing in the publishing industry. That query letter is just a
formalized—and brief—marketing plan showing the editor or agent that you know
your platform (if any), your genre, your market, and your story’s theme and/or
intriguing plot points. What happens when your book shows up on Amazon and
other book sites? You use your platform to announce your book, you or your
publisher add tags to let people know your genre and target market, and your
book’s blurb conveys the theme and/or intriguing plot points.

Want feedback?

Back in 2001
when I entered the Paul Gillette (the Zebulon’s previous incarnation), I paid
extra to receive a critique. What a benefit that was! The contest still offers
critiques—in fact, you can get two—and it is a great way to get overall
feedback on your submission This is on top of the scoresheet comments, which
you receive as part of the scoring. As the contest coordinator for the Paul
Gillette for six years, I can happily say that the Zebulon’s scoresheets give
even better feedback now.

Our VIP judges
are industry professionals.

This year, as
many as 18 entries will wend their way to the desks of the editors and agents
who have volunteered as our final-round judges. These VIPs will rank the three
entries in their categories and possibly even make comments—or ask for the
entire manuscript. Have we had winners find representation this way? Why yes,
we have.

Free
conference!

First-place
winners in each category can go for free to the 2016 Pikes Peak Writers
Conference; this year’s theme is “Dare to Dream,” and we have a great lineup of
speakers and workshops. That’s a prize worth nearly $400. Winners also (along with
the other finalists) go to the front of the line for editor and agent
appointments. This is a great opportunity to network and learn.

About the Author: Dawn Smit is a
freelance editor and proofreader and the creator of Rainbow Editing®, a
technique that writers can use to teach their computers to help them self edit.
She was the contest director for the Paul Gillette Writing Contest from 2005 to
2010 and has returned for an encore.

Pikes Peak Writers

Welcome to the official blog of Pikes Peak Writers. We aim to inform, educate, enrich, and entertain writers. NOTE: The posts appearing on this blog may not be reposted or reprinted without the express permission of the author and Pikes Peak Writers.